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RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some find tumor cells and kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Others interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of esophageal cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy together with radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving bevacizumab after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving irinotecan, cisplatin, and bevacizumab together with radiation therapy followed by surgery and bevacizumab works in treating patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Evaluate the toxicity and safety of bevacizumab when given together with cisplatin, irinotecan hydrochloride, and radiotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant bevacizumab in patients with locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Secondary

Observe the rate of pathologic complete response in patients treated with this regimen.

Observe overall survival, disease-free survival, and patterns of failure in these patients.

Clarify toxicity and tolerability of this regimen.

Evaluate pre-treatment levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patient serum as a corollary of response to this regimen.

Correlate serum proteomics data with complete pathologic response.

OUTLINE: This is a nonrandomized, open-label study.

Induction therapy: Patients receive cisplatin IV over 30 minutes and irinotecan hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, 22, and 29. Patients also receive bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on days 1 and 22.

Combination therapy and radiotherapy: Patients receive cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride as in induction chemotherapy on days 43, 50, 64, and 71. Patients also receive bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on days 43 and 64. Patients undergo external beam radiotherapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks beginning on day 43.

Blood samples are obtained at baseline, after finishing chemoradiotherapy, and prior to maintenance therapy and are examined by the matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectometry for proteomic profiling.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

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Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 120 Years (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction

No other prior malignancy (except for basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, in situ cervical carcinoma, or superficial transitional cell bladder carcinoma) diagnosed and/or treated within the past 3 years

No known Gilbert's disease

No clinically significant hearing loss

No known hypersensitivity to bevacizumab or other study drugs

No severe comorbid conditions, including any of the following:

Severe uncontrolled diabetes

Prior stroke or cerebrovascular disease

Uncontrolled infection

Nonmalignant illness that precludes study treatment

No history of serious systemic disease, including any of the following: